3d printing system

Abstract

A 3D printing system may include a tank in which a bottom of the tank is formed by a radiation-transparent flexible membrane, a spill tray with an outer wall configured to contain liquid resin that inadvertently leaks out from the bottom of the tank, and a light source configured to project radiation towards the bottom of the tank. The spill tray may contain an inner opening that allows the radiation from the light source to pass through the spill tray to the tank. A 3D printing system may also include a mask assembly which comprises a mask with pixels configurable to be individually transparent or opaque to portions of the radiation projected from the light source and a mask assembly receiving member configured to receive the mask assembly. The mask assembly may also include a rigid guide portion that is insertable into a slot of the mask assembly receiving member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vat polymerization 3D printer system, comprising:
 a tank having a cavity configured to receive liquid resin polymerized during operation of the 3D printer system;   a resin dispenser comprising one or more holes in fluid communication with the cavity, liquid resin being delivered to the tank through said holes;   a resin level detector configured to detect a level of liquid resin in the tank;   wherein the 3D printer system is configured to:
 receive a user indication to begin a print job, the user indication being received before the tank has reached a predetermined level of liquid resin, 
 during delivery of liquid resin to the tank from the resin dispenser, repeatedly estimate a level of liquid resin in the tank in accordance with measurements provided by the resin level detector, and 
 start the print job in accordance with the estimated level of liquid resin reaching the predetermined level of liquid resin. 
   
     
     
         2 . The 3D printer system of  claim 1 , wherein the resin dispenser is gravity-assisted. 
     
     
         3 . The 3D printer system of  claim 2 , wherein the resin dispenser includes an air conduit through which vacuum pressure limiting dispensing of the liquid resin is relieved as portions of the liquid resin are consumed by the print job. 
     
     
         4 . The 3D printer system of  claim 1 , wherein the resin dispenser comprises a resin receptacle sized and shaped to receive a resin cartridge. 
     
     
         5 . The 3D printer system of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more holes of the resin dispenser pass through the resin receptacle. 
     
     
         6 . The 3D printer system of  claim 1 , wherein the resin level detector is positioned above a portion of liquid resin in fluid communication with the cavity of the tank. 
     
     
         7 . The 3D printer system of  claim 6 , wherein the portion of liquid resin in fluid communication with the cavity of the tank is located in a cove interconnected with the cavity of the tank through a restricted opening in a side of the tank. 
     
     
         8 . The 3D printer system of  claim 7 , wherein the cavity of the tank fluidly interconnects the cove with the holes of the resin dispenser. 
     
     
         9 . The 3D printer system of  claim 1 , wherein the resin level detector comprises a distance-measuring device measuring a distance between the resin level detector and a surface of the liquid resin. 
     
     
         10 . The 3D printer system of  claim 9 , wherein the resin level detector detects distance using reflections of pulsed energy from the surface of the liquid resin. 
     
     
         11 . The 3D printer system of  claim 10 , wherein the pulsed energy comprises at least one of the group consisting of:
 ultrasonic pulse energy, and   laser pulse energy.   
     
     
         12 . The 3D printer system of  claim 1 , wherein a bottom of the tank is formed by a radiation-transparent flexible membrane. 
     
     
         13 . The 3D printer system of  claim 1 , comprising a light source configured to project radiation towards a bottom of the tank.